FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

The Polar Bottle® Sport and Ergo are manufactured in our Boulder, CO office with parts sourced from Denver, CO and Garden City, MO. Our only product that is not manufactured domestically is our Stainless Steel Half Twist™ Thermaluxe™ bottle. Due to financial infeasibility with stateside manufacturers, the stainless steel bottles are responsibly manufactured in China.

LDPE, HDPE, and Tritan™ plastics are all free of harmful chemicals like BPA, BPS and Phthalates. To the furthest extent of current scientific knowledge, none of these plastics contain harmful chemicals that may leach into the liquid contained in the bottle. The well-being of our customers is of the highest priority to our company and plastic safety is an issue we take very seriously. Polar Bottle water bottles have always been BPA- and Phthalate-Free. More about our Safe Plastic >>

There has been widespread concern about Bisphenols as many of the chemicals in this family – including BPS and the better known BPA – have been associated with endocrine disruption and fertility issues. To clarify, “Bisphenol” (shortened form BP) is a common chemical descriptor and the letter following BP refers to one of the reactants found in the compound. Bisphenol-S or BPS, is a Bisphenol with Phenol and Sulfur trioxide as its reactants, hence the name BPS. Phenol is a precursor to many materials and useful compounds. Sulfur trioxide in gaseous form is a significant pollutant and the primary agent in acid rain. In a solid form it fumes in the air and is corrosive to metals and tissues. BPA and BPS are both used as hardening agents in certain plastics, so some manufacturers, may be claiming to be BPA free while using BPS instead. The risk of BPA or BPS leaching into liquids is greatest when liquids get warm. This is another reason for avoiding drinking from that single use disposable bottle you left in the car on a hot day or buying non insulated bottles that do not explicitly say BPA free.

Now for the good news: Polar Bottle is 100% BPA free and BPS free. We use no hardening agents such as BPA and BPS in our plastics, so no harmful chemicals will leach from our bottles even on the hottest day. Our bottles have been tested for both BPA and BPS and our results have always come back negative. You can truly feel good about using this Made in the USA BPA/BPS-free and Phthalate-free water bottle. More about BPS and safe plastic.

We have designed our products to be reusable and incredibly durable. Many of our customers are still happily using bottles they purchased in the mid-‘90s, when the Polar Bottle® was originally released. This is not an uncommon feat. However, when you decide it’s time to retire your Polar Bottle® water bottle, they are completely recyclable. To recycle the bottle, simply separate the outer plastic bottle, foil liner and inner plastic bottle and recycle them separately. Or, if you prefer, send in your old bottle back to our warehouse and we would be happy to recycle it for you!

The bottle is also made in America from locally sourced parts. This allows us to minimize shipping costs and the environmental impact that goes along with them. The fact that our entire operation – from sales to production to shipping – takes place under one roof further reduces overhead, energy use, and environmental strain.

We believe that durable, reusable water bottles are of the utmost importance in an age when single-use PET bottles (your standard bottled water or soda bottle) are being thrown away or littered nearly 3 times as often as they are recycled. This adds up to approximately 2 million tons of PET bottles finding their way into landfills every year*. Americans currently consume an average of more than 25 gallons of bottled water every year, per person. That means that each of us uses about 266 12-ounce PET bottles annually. Wouldn’t you rather enjoy your water from a single reusable Polar Bottle water bottle for the next 10 years than crack open 2660 disposable bottles?

BPA is an acronym for Bisphenol A, an organic compound that is a primary component in the creation of polycarbonate plastic, among other uses. Polycarbonate is used in a wide variety of everyday products, including many water bottles and baby bottles. In addition, BPA is utilized in epoxy resins used to coat the inside of many food and drink containers, such as soda cans.

BPA has become a hot-button issue in recent years thanks to the results of multiple studies questioning its safety. These studies indicated that BPA may act as an endocrine disruptor, mimicking the effects of estrogen in the human body, and possibly contributing to a variety of negative health effects. The primary health concerns with BPA are related to fetal exposure, where the effects are seen in the brain, behavior, and reproductive organs, as well as contributing to early puberty in women.

There have also been many studies that did not show any harmful effects related to BPA, but the general public has taken a “guilty until proven innocent” stance on the subject. There are NO BPA’s in Polar Bottle and never have been. We have subjected our bottles to rigorous third-party testing to confirm that our bottles, to the furthest extent of current scientific knowledge, are completely safe.

Phthalates are compounds that are frequently added to plastics – especially PVC – to soften the plastic and make it more flexible. Phthalates also have beneficial effects to the durability of plastics. However, phthalates do not bond with the plastics they are added to, so as the plastic ages, it readily releases the phthalates, which can then leach into the surrounding environment. Like BPA, phthalates act as endocrine disruptors in humans, which can lead to a change in hormonal levels. The effects of these changes may include birth defects, weight gain, and insulin resistance (which is a precursor for diabetes), among others.

The plastics Polar Bottle® uses do not contain phthalates and never have. We have subjected our bottles to rigorous third-party testing to confirm that our bottles, to the furthest extent of current scientific knowledge, are completely safe.

The insulating power of the bottle will obviously vary based on the conditions it’s being used in. High temperatures, direct sunlight, and even high ambient humidity can all affect how long your water stays cold. Even in hot conditions, however, the Polar Bottle® will easily keep your drink cold more than twice as long as a standard single-wall, uninsulated bottle.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the bottle, we recommend pre-freezing the water in a Polar Bottle before use. Fill your bottle halfway full with water and freeze overnight. The giant ice cube that results will keep your drink chilly for hours (do not fill the bottle more than half way before freezing, as the water must have room to expand as it freezes).

The Polar Bottle Sport Water Bottles are freezer safe so long as the bottle is not more than 3/4 full. Freezing a full bottle could cause the bottle to split. Filling a bottle halfway, freezing it overnight and topping it off in the morning before a long day is a great way to keep your water cold all day.

The Polar Bottle Ergo and the Polar Bottle Stainless Steel Thermaluxe are not freezer safe and could potentially crack when frozen.

The Polar Bottle is completely dishwasher safe, including the cap and valve. The bottle should be washed on the top rack only. We recommend placing the valve in the silverware tray to prevent it from being knocked off and falling onto the heating element.

In order to keep your bottle fresh and clean for years, we recommend that you wash the bottle with a small amount of dish soap and warm water after every use. Rinse the bottle thoroughly and then allow it to dry completely (any residual moisture in the bottle can promote bacteria growth) before storing it.

We also recommend that you wash your bottle before using it for the first time.

For more information on cleaning your bottle, check out our blog post >>

Absolutely. Just remove the cap from the bottle and pull the strap off. The lanyard is there for carrying convenience only; it doesn’t serve any other functional purpose, so it can safely be removed without affecting the performance of the bottle.

Individual sensitivity to plastic odors or tastes can vary wildly, but if you experience any unpleasant odor or taste, or notice discoloration from using sports drinks or other liquids in your bottle, wash your bottle thoroughly. Soaking with a baking soda solution can be especially effective for unpleasant odors. If odor persists please contact the customer service department at 800-440-0358 for a replacement.

The Polar Bottle® sport can safely handle warm liquids and the insulating properties will keep your warm drinks warm longer as well. Please use caution and discretion when using the Polar Bottle® sport for hot liquids, as it can be easy to burn yourself. We do not recommend using the bottle for liquids that are too hot to drink comfortably.

Polar Bottle® Ergo can safely handle warm liquids and the insulating properties will keep your warm drinks warm longer as well. Please use caution and discretion when using the Polar Bottle® Ergo for warm liquids, as it can be easy to burn yourself. We do not recommend using the bottle for liquids that are too hot to drink comfortably.

The Polar Bottle® has a standard 63mm diameter mouth, so if you prefer another company’s cap, you can easily replace the Polar Bottle® cap. Our free cap replacement guarantee naturally does not extend to other companies’ products.

The Polar Bottle Thermaluxe™ performs the best overall. According to our testing, when placed in direct sunlight during peak summer high temperatures, this vacuum insulated, stainless steel water bottle keeps water cool for seven hours. If you are using it inside at your office, the water bottle could keep ice water cool for 24 hours and beyond.

The Polar Bottle Ergo is our second best performing bottle design. On a hot day, water in an Ergo will stay cooler than the outside temperature for three to three and half hours.

Among the sport bottle line, the Polar Bottle Platinum bottle performs the best. In general, bottles with a lighter colored foil bag perform better than darker graphics. On average, on a hot summer day — 90°F or higher — water without ice in a Polar Bottle Sport water bottle takes about two hours until it heats to the outside temperature.

The Polar Bottle Thermaluxe™ performs the best for hot liquids. According to our tests, in a standard mug, water at a rolling boil (201°F) at 5,430 feet above sea level will drop to a temperature of 118°F in about a half an hour. In the Thermaluxe™, on the other hand, the water took five and half hours to drop to 116°F — an impressive 11 times longer than a standard mug.

The Polar Bottle Half Twist Cap is designed to prevent spilling and leaking. Give the cap a half twist left until the water droplets on the cap and bottle line up and you’re ready to drink. Twist it back to the right, and it’s completely sealed. If you are still having trouble with the cap, don’t worry (it sometimes takes some getting used to). Give us a call (303-440-0358) and we can help you out.

To clean the cap, remove the soft plastic inner liner from the hard plastic outer cap and wash them separately. Once clean, simply pop the inner liner back into the cap. Both the inner liner and outer cap are dishwasher safe.